The popularity of social media has resulted in teachers being arrested for sexual conduct with students and officials say it is also providing evidence.
The arrest Friday of two Tucson teachers - one of whom reportedly sent text messages of sexual images of herself to a student - were the latest in a string of arrests in which police say teachers had sexual contact with students or provided students with explicit photos.
"There are tremendous positives that can come from the use of modern technology," said Rob Ross, the legal counsel for Tucson Unified School District. "That's the world kids live in and if teachers can relate to them that way, they're all the better for it.
"But there are these documented incidents of misuse. We may need to look at policies to see if we need to be more specific about that. Still, if you're not supposed to have inappropriate relationships with kids, it shouldn't matter if it's in your car or on a social network."
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The increased technology has helped police, said Sgt. Diana Lopez, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.
"It's assisting us in prosecuting these cases," she said. "There's always somebody aware of it and always somebody willing to come forward.
"It's more apparent now because, in the past, if no one came forward, all you had was one (person's) word against another," Lopez said. "Technology allows parents to check into what their kids are doing."
Friday's arrests included Jennifer Whiting, 32, a Rincon High School teacher who police say she left her children at home alone to meet a 16-year-old student she had been "sexting."
The teen's father notified police Friday that his son might be having an inappropriate relationship with Whiting. Detectives said they learned Whiting had sent the teen sexual photos of herself by text, called "sexting."
She was booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of furnishing harmful material to a minor, a felony. Child Protective Services was notified about her leaving the children at home.
Police said the teen is a student at Rincon, but it was not immediately known if Whiting had been his teacher. The investigation continues.
In the second case, Aaron Montoya, 30, a teacher at an east-side charter school was arrested after his wife told police he had an sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student, police said.
Montoya is facing three counts of sexual conduct with a minor, according to a Tucson Police Department news release.
Tucson police were called to the 3000 block of North Craycroft Road at 1:38 a.m.. When officers arrived, Montoya's wife told officers he was possibly having a relationship with the girl.
Investigators say Montoya engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with the girl for the past several months.
Montoya was a teacher at Allsport Academy, 6211 E. Speedway, where the girl was a student.
The school is run by Montoya's father - Moses Montoya, who fired his son Friday.
"Our primary concern is the safety, well-being and education of our students," he said in a telephone interview after the arrest. "This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Besides being embarrassed and ashamed, this has put me in a very difficult position."
The case is still under investigation.
Aaron Montoya has appeared in court twice on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a minor but both cases were dismissed, according to court records.
The first appearance involved serving liquor to a minor in 2000. The second appearance in 2004 stemmed from an arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Moses Montoya said he wasn't aware of his son's prior history, but said Aaron held a valid fingerprint-clearance card and passed background checks.
Online court records do not show any prior run-ins with the law for Whiting, who has worked at Rincon for three years.
Whiting is not actively employed by the district at this time, but if her arrest is not resolved before the end of the summer, the school district will have to decide whether to place her on leave, Ross said.
"If there is sufficient evidence in the case, we would want to go with the most conservative approach to protect students," he said.
However, if the matter is resolved in her favor, Whiting's contract will be honored and she will be able to return to work.
Though the recent arrests are cause for concern, Ross is unsure of what more TUSD can do to discourage this kind of conduct by teachers.
"I don't know what any school district can do if these people don't have records and there are no red flags," Ross said. "Our policies are clear about maintaining a professional, positive relationship with students. I can't imagine that someone entering this profession would think it is OK to engage in that kind of conduct with a kid."
Tucson police advise parents to monitor children's text messages and e-mails, and pay attention to their behavior.
Parents should also talk to their children's friends, said Lopez, the Tucson police spokeswoman.
Children may not confide in their parents, but they'll talk to their friends.
"Sometimes," Lopez said, "the friends will come forward."
Recent cases
• Earlier this month, a Catalina Magnet High School teacher was arrested on suspicion of having a sexual relationship with a student. The teacher, Thomas Saul, 31, was arrested on five counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of luring a minor for sexual exploitation.
• On May 24, substitute teacher Carl Peak, 66, was arrested on suspicion of groping six girls at Rivera Elementary School in the Sunnyside Unified School District. The students told police Peak touched them on the buttocks.
• On May 17, an Empire High School English teacher and cheer squad coach was taken into custody after police investigated her relationship with a 15-year-old boy. The teacher, Christie Elliot, 25, was rearrested on June 10 for suspicion of influencing a witness after police say she tried to contact the boy through another student in order to offer the boy money. On Friday, a judge imposed a $75,000 bond in the case.
• In April, Adrian Noriega an assistant principal at Chaparral Middle School in the Sunnyside Unified School District, was arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual conduct several years ago who was age 14 at the time.
• In November, a Cholla High Magnet School monitor, Sheridan Gomez, 26, was arrested after police say he sent a student a sexually explicit picture of himself. Last month, he was sentenced to three years' probation and two weekends in jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Contact reporter Jamar Younger at jyounger@azstarnet.com or 573-4115. Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at ahuicochea@azstarnet.com or 573-4175.
